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. 2021 Mar 16;3(1):113–130. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2020.12.006

Figure 2.

Figure 2

SS Rats and Myocardial Vacuolization and Necrosis

SS rats demonstrate myocardial vacuolization and necrosis, with a marginally significant decrease of microvascular density, 10 weeks after 24-Gy localized cardiac RT. Adult female rats were administered 24 Gy of localized cardiac RT or sham treatment, and at 10 weeks post-treatment, their hearts were harvested. Hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections demonstrated healthy left ventricular (LV) myocardial tissue in sham-treated hearts (A and B), whereas RT-treated hearts had notable necrosis and vacuolization (C and D), which was increased in the LV lateral wall (D) when compared with the interventricular septum (C). (E to G) Fixed heart sections were stained for cardiomyocytes (caveolin-3) and blood vessels (Sh2b3). The number of blood vessels per cardiomyocyte was calculated, with representative images from sham-treated (E) and RT-treated (F) hearts. This demonstrated a marginally significant decrease of capillary density after RT (G). n = 3/condition. Values are mean ± SEM. Abbreviations as in Figure 1.